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HG: SustainAbility Column December 13, 2008

When getting the homestead ready for the holidays, how can you clear out those large, unsightly items?

If those items are made of metal, Van Gundy’s AMPCO Inc. can help.

Located at 645 Fourth Ave. in Grand Junction, the local company is the unsung hero of the recycling community. Specializing in auto salvage and metal recycling, the company has been around since 1929.

Metal recycling is big business for Van Gundy’s, with an average of 1 million pounds recycled each month. Customer relations manager Holly Evans said, “If it is metal, we take it.” An exception is barbed wire.

The facility accepts cars, appliances, I-beams, pipe, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, brass and more. Van Gundy’s even pays you per pound for most kinds of metal. Call 242-9500 for details.

According to vangundysrecycling.com, the company relocated in 2006 to a state-of-the-art facility “that makes our salvage yard the most efficient facility on the Western Slope.”

The new location has an education center where curious people ages 3 to 80 years old have learned about metal recycling and how materials break down in the natural environment.

Van Gundy’s is also involved in demolition and material removal and was responsible for recycling 2.5 millions pounds of metal from a recent demolition project.

A special thanks to Ann Hartter for appreciating Van Gundy’s “passion” for recycling on a local level.